Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government is continuing with its policy of implementing the EU habitats directive and protecting habitats in special areas of conservation, including 50 special areas of conservation for the protection of blanket bog. These sites include lowland and mountain blanket bog areas, predominantly along the western seaboard but also widely distributed on upland areas. The climatic conditions required for the formation of blanket bogs are found in limited locations around the globe, such as Scotland and Norway in the northern hemisphere and New Zealand and Argentina in the southern hemisphere. Many of the special areas of conservation sites identified for protection of blanket bogs are extensive and include complexes of other habitats, such as heaths, grasslands and aquatic habitats, also listed for protection under the habitats directive.

The habitats directive has been fully transposed into national law by means of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, as amended, and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. Legal protections consistent with those set out in the habitats directive have applied to the sites since they were initially proposed for designation. Ireland’s planning and environmental legislation has operated under these designations. Due to a deterioration of the protected peatland sites since they were nominated for designation, an infringement action has been brought against Ireland by the European Commission. The action relates to all protected peatland sites - both raised bog and blanket bog.

The draft national peatlands strategy makes it clear that greater clarity must be brought to the process of how turf cutting on blanket bog sites is to be managed in compliance with the requirements of the habitats directive and the environmental impact assessment directive. It is anticipated that turf cutting will be able to continue within blanket bog special areas of conservation but more sensitive areas will need to be avoided. The aim is to have in place a workable system for the management of turf cutting on these sites. This system will be put in place in consultation with the local communities involved. The necessary scientific work and consultation with local communities will need to be undertaken in advance of this system being implemented. Therefore, it is unlikely that the system will be introduced until 2017 at the earliest.

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